Vedant Patel was set to graduate from UNO, but his roommate, Gregory Dodds, stabbed and killed him at their apartment.

On March 5th, 2012, Stephen Dodds, Gregory's brother, returned home to find Vedant dead in his bed He had been asleep at their condo near 105th and Sahler. Gregory broke into Vedant's room and viciously stabbed him - plunging his knife into Vedant's body multiple times in the heart, chest, legs and wrist - on the belief that he was acting out a "righteous mission." If he completed that mission, Gregory told doctors, he believed "something big...something spiritual" was going to happen.

Stephen allegedly found a bloody knife belonging to Gregory in the toilet. Police later found Gregory sitting in a vehicle, visibly upset and making comments alluding to the fact that he was responsible. He said God told him to kill his roommate. When police spotted blood on Gregory's shoe, that's when he admitted that he had done it. He also showed the officer's Vendat's bloody clothing in the trunk of his car. ​

Vedant Patel, courtesy Omaha World-Herald

Gregory had a history of drug abuse - ingesting painkillers, mushrooms, acid, marijuana and K2. His drug use had caused his mental health to circle the drain in September 2011. In January 2012, his mother had called authorities after Gregory said that God and Satan communicated with him through the television. Then, on the day of the murder, Stephen called the Boys Town hot line to inquire about getting Gregory help.